UFC 103 Betting – Cro Cop vs Dos Santos odds and pick

by BetOnline.com on September 16, 2009

Before NFL betting returns for Week 2, we can watch a different breed of juggernauts slug it out on Saturday night at UFC 103. In the co-main event, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic looks to ascend the heavyweight ladder. Let’s make a pick for his bout with Junior Dos Santos.

STRENGTHS: Mirko Cro Cop will forever be known as one of MMA’s deadliest strikers. The converted kickboxer has devastating knockout power, punctuated by his trademark head kicks. No matter whom he faces, he has a chance to score a knockout. His takedown defense is also among the best in the business.

WEAKNESSES: His first venture into the UFC wasn’t successful, as he struggled to adapt to fighting in a cage and wasn’t used to taking elbows on the ground, as they’re not allowed in Pride. His head-kick knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga was so bad that it may have weakened his chin permanently; that doesn’t bode well against the powerful Dos Santos.

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos

Record: 8-1

Notable victories: Fabricio Werdum

UFC 103 odds: -140

STRENGTHS: Dos Santos is rapidly making a name for himself thanks to his devastating knockout ability. All eight of his wins are first-round finishes – six knockouts and two submissions. He’s a killer, as he showed when he dropped heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum in just over a minute. If the match reaches the ground, he has the advantage thanks to his purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

WEAKNESSES: Being 10 years younger probably makes him the fitter, faster fighter, but Dos Santos lacks experience. He’s never faced a fighter anywhere close to the Cro Cop’s caliber, so it’s still too early to tell if he’s simply a flash in the pan.

Go with Dos Santos at -140 in your sports picks. Cro Cop hasn’t proven yet that he can recapture his former greatness and his chin is somewhat questionable at this stage of his career, so the aggressive, powerful Dos Santos could knock him out.